You love your clothes. Better yet, you love acquiring new clothes and passing on your old ones. Clothing is what floats your boat. Well, how do you feel about used clothing? There is an entire industry now built up around it. People no longer have to buy brand-new to get the outfits they want. They can go used and save good money.
Of course, buying used clothing does come with a few caveats. First, you are always taking the risk of getting a damaged garment. Stains, rips, and other blemishes are part of the used clothing game. Second, you have to be careful from whom you buy. There are plenty of bad apples in the used clothing game.
If those things don’t scare you off, check out these top five ways to get your hands on some tasty used clothing:
1. Frequent Thrift Stores
It used to be that thrift stores were the only retail game in town for used clothing. That’s no longer the case, but they are still a great place to find some really good stuff. Thrift stores in some cities are so productive that Poshmark sellers source their use clothing by visiting thrift stores.
It is true that a lot of what sells from thrift store racks is stuff you might not want. But it is also true that there are plenty of hidden gems. You just have to be willing to spend time looking.
2. Social E-Commerce Sites
As long as we are talking about Poshmark, a second option is to get your used clothing from social e-commerce sites. That’s exactly what Poshmark is. It’s a platform that combines the best of retail and social media. You can buy clothing, accessories, and more on the site.
Who are the sellers? They are your friends, neighbors, and coworkers. They buy gently used clothing and sell it on the platform. Many of them even contract with companies like PoshyVA who are tasked with managing their daily shares. It’s a business model that works, demonstrated by the many sellers who make good money on the site.
3. Straight E-Commerce Sites
You may not be into the whole social e-commerce thing. That’s fine. There are other platforms that are strictly e-commerce environments. Swap.com is one example. Most of these online properties are essentially digital thrift stores. Many of them offer consignment opportunities as well.
4. Rent Your Clothing Instead
You may be the type of person who likes getting new clothes every month. You really have no interest in buying, because that only means you’ll have to dispose of the old clothing. For you, there is another option: rental. Rental platforms like Nuuly and Rent the Runway abound.
Your typical rental program is a subscription-based service. You pay an annual or monthly fee. In exchange, you get to choose new outfits that are sent to you every month. When each new set arrives, you send back the previous set. It sure is convenient, though you’re not guaranteed to get clothing you like with every delivery.
5. Garage Sales
In the event that none of these options work for you, there is always the tried-and-true garage sale. Consumers have been selling used clothing at garage sales for decades. And if you think online thrift store prices are cheap, they have nothing on garage sales.
Used clothing is a thriving business these days. You might want to check it out if you consider yourself a clothing person. Buying or renting used gives you access to your favorite brands and styles for a lot less. There is nothing wrong with that.
